Holiday Wishes: A Heartbreaker Bay Christmas Novella

Finn and Pru’s wedding day is fast approaching and everyone is excited. As Finn’s best man, Sean has taken over the planning of the bachelor and bachelorette parties: with this group of friends that have built their own family, there is no way the two will be separate. So after finding the perfect place to make Pru happy, Sean has booked them into a small Victorian B&B, rented a large van to drive everyone, set up a wine tasting and a small party, and is determined to give Pru and Finn the best time possible. From the start there were little problems: torrential downpours with wind and lashing rain, dicey electrics at the old B&B, mudslides that derail their check-out time and close roads and their wedding venue, and the B&B is run by an old high-school one night stand that Sean ran from all those years ago. Lotti isn’t going to let Sean off easily – she’s hurt and trying to convince herself that she doesn’t remember the feelings she had for him. In fact, with a rough year that just got rougher with her latest breakup, she’s only wanting to disappear for Christmas, heading to Cabo for 2 weeks of sun, sand and NSA sex with surfers. Of course, none of that is going to happen with road closures and a state of emergency ending her plans of Sean and company leaving and her heading to the airport. This truly was Sean and Lotti’s story: his regret and guilt becoming a character of its own in this. He’s desperate to make Finn’s wedding a success and give him just a bit back for the years of grief he caused as a teen. Seeing Lotti after all these years, Sean also is guilty about how he ran away from her feelings, closing himself off. Yes, he realizes he was young, but he behaved abominably and he would like nothing more than a second chance. Lotti lost her father, gained a nagging parrot, lost a fiancé a week before the wedding, and has just lost her last boyfriend. She has always remembered Sean, the first boy she ever loved: and that, and every relationship after it, ended badly. She’s scared and hurt and determined to not give Sean a break, or to let him in. There was everything in this story that anyone could want: lots of love displayed within the friends, plenty of drama with the storms, Sean’s palpable guilt about his mistakes and his determination to make everything right, and the gentle and giving approach he takes to work his way back into Lotti’s heart. Of all the characters, Sean has grown up the most in this series, and shown that the friendships and love connections in this group have shown him new possibilities and options, letting him see, not just feel, that love and friendship can become that touchstone. While I wanted a bit more of the wedding and Sean’s officiating of it, the Elle-like precision where it seemed as if the pieces fell together seamlessly, and the lovely recognition of the bond between Lotti and Sean was wonderful and left me smiling. A favorite series for sure, and one that is sure to be read and re-read often. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This a great holiday installment in the Heartbreaker Bay series. It's a novella that can be reading one sitting. I love when holiday romances lead to second chances. It's a blast from the past for Sean when the group stays at the B&B. Lotti is the one that got away and faced with a second chance Sean won't let her slip through his fingers again. It's going to take a little convincing from Sean because Lotti doesn't trust easy. The way things play out for the crew from Heartbreaker Bay couldn't be more perfect for them.

3.5 stars -- This one started off really strong, and while I've only read 1.5 other books in this series, it was still nice to see all the characters that I'd already fallen in love with again.  I loved how we didn't have to wait too long to find out what happened between Sean and Lottie in the past, b/c I tend to be too impatient for that kind of thing.  And I could actually understand how it happened, what with them both being 16.  I honestly felt Sean's regret/remorse, and his desire for a second chance.  I actually really liked what I saw of Sean in the beginning of the book...he was earnest in his desire to take care of those he loves.  And for a novella, I really felt for his relationship with Finn...just makes me want to go back and read Finn's book now instead of waiting. I felt a bit less for Lottie...I felt like we just didn't get as much time in her head, understanding who she was.  Basically a lot of novellas suffer from just not having enough time to give you a good glimpse of who the characters are, and what shaped them, and I felt that more for Lottie than Sean in this case.  I wanted to know more about what happened last year, what happened after she left Sean when she was 16, just...more.  I wasn't given enough to really connect with her.  The bare bones were there, but I needed just a titch more.  Especially since we're given the impression in the blurb that she's all "one night stands only", and I really didn't feel that that strongly in the book...  I expected it to play a bigger part. I enjoyed their initial...not reconciliation, but their first conversation together.  I liked that it wasn't too overdramatic, and it felt like Lottie understood better what happened in the past and saw it through adult eyes if that makes sense.  But somewhere along the way my interest fizzled a bit.  Maybe it was because while I felt a bit of chemistry, it wasn't that strong and overwhelming.  Or maybe it was just me, and I got distracted while reading.  But it just felt like the book came to an end more suddenly than I was expecting.  I think it's really hard to write a novella, especially a romance, and have the reader still feel satisfied in the end.  And I didn't quite get that with this one.  It was close, but just fell slightly short.